# Pipe Refinishing - Whats the trick??



## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

So I sanded down a crappy pipe I bought to refinish it and it ended up pretty pathetic. I used Feibing's leather dye (dark brown) which seemed to be the recommendation by my research. How do I get a perfect coat? Its really spotted and mottled. Some areas are darker than others. I can't seem to get it right. So whats the trick? Should I mix a squirt of water in and then just do more coats? Use less dye? Put it on a rag and buff it on? All three? I'll post pics here pretty soon of the pipe. Its sanded down a bit but it still pretty accurately shows my problem.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

You can:

-cut the dye with alcohol
-rub alcohol on the surface after it has dried
-sand after staining with fine grit sandpaper (1-2k grit), which will pop the grain as well.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

will alcohol pull the dye out of the grain then? or just dilute?

I have some 220 grain. Is it safe to say I need to run to the auto store and grab something with another zero on the end?


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

It mainly pulls it out onto whatever you are wiping with as it dilutes (rag, paper towel, etc).

220 is definitely too course. 600 would probably work.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

heres the pipe. This picture shows the worst side. I think I'll rub it down with some alcohol then see if I can refinish it again. It'll still be pretty ugly but oh well.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

The alcohol will help even it out, but what I would experiment with there is soaking it longer in dye (just keep brushing it on for a few minutes), and then sanding with high grit until you get the desired coloring/grain. It will be a lot easier to do that way and get even, and it will look much better. 

What kind of wood is that?


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## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

karatekyle said:


> I have some 220 grain. Is it safe to say I need to run to the auto store and grab something with another zero on the end?


I suspect that you are getting bad results not because of the dye, but because you have not removed all of the old wax and finish. Liquid dye will spread and soak evenly into properly prepared wood.

The first thing you need to do is to keep 220 grit paper away from your pipes, that grit is coarse and is only meant to remove wood fast or to strip paint, it is nowhere near a finishing grade and will only cut scratches into your pipe.

Start with 320-400 grit emory paper, and when you think you have removed the entire outer layer of wood, hit it with 600 grit, then 1000 grit and even 2000 grit if you have the patience. The higher the grit, the more polished and smooth your pipe will appear (the super high ends have been polished with 8000 grit before being buffed some more!).


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

The wood is rosewood briar. Its been a challenge to work with, I suspect the wood also may be a reason the dye isn't spreading right. When I dab the dye on, it soaks in where ever I put it. There has been no even spreading like you described. I first used 100 gr (too coarse, I now know) to take the finish off then 220 to buff it down. I'll have to run down to autozone or whatever and grab some higher grit.


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## Stan41 (Sep 30, 2009)

Here is what I do:

Do not sand the pipe. It is already sanded smoother than you can get it.

Rub with Acetone on a paper towel until all the old finish is gone. The stain will remain.

Wax and buff with Carnuba wax.

That's all.
Stan


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## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

Stan41 said:


> Here is what I do:
> 
> Do not sand the pipe. It is already sanded smoother than you can get it.
> 
> ...


I beg to differ. 220 grit will NOT sand wood the smoothest he can get it.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

CWL said:


> I beg to differ. 220 grit will NOT sand wood the smoothest he can get it.


I think he meant starting from scratch and not where Kyle's at now. Unless something horrible happened, most pipes that you refinish will be sanded smooth and there shouldn't be a need to hit it with sand paper.

Now, though, Kyle really needs to get the finer grit and smooth those gouges from the course grit paper. In the picture I can see where it was sanded with course grit.

For future pipes, I recommend just using a magic eraser until you get down to the color you want or using the acetone but I just really hesitate to put chemicals like that on my pipe.


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## Stan41 (Sep 30, 2009)

CWL said:


> I beg to differ. 220 grit will NOT sand wood the smoothest he can get it.


Yes, I was talking about refinishing a pipe that has not been messed with. 
Stan


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## Stan41 (Sep 30, 2009)

owaindav said:


> using the acetone but I just really hesitate to put chemicals like that on my pipe.


I am not afraid to use acetone on the outside of my pipes. I don' use it inside the bowl. It evaporates completely, very quickly. Plus women use fingernail polish remover all the time apparently with no ill effects and it is just Acetone.
Stan


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

#0000 steel wool can put a pretty smooth finish on wood as a last step, too. Probably about like 1000 grit sandpaper, possibly even finer, but easier to use -- doesn't crease and you can get into the curvy areas easier. I have 1000 grit that I use for smoothing my nails for classical guitar, so I have tried both.


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## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

Stan41 said:


> Yes, I was talking about refinishing a pipe that has not been messed with.
> Stan


Sorry, misunderstood!


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

If I want to take it down to bare wook (to take out dents and such) and want it a different color, what do I do there? All the advice seems to be take the wax off but I want the color gone too. Or should I dye it with the stain still on?


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## Zfog (Oct 16, 2010)

You can dye it with the stain still on but it will only get darker. If you want to take it down all the way, ie no color at all you will need to spend a lot of time sanding, starting with your lower recommended grit and ending with a high grit. I will not recommend these grit numbers.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

Zfog said:


> You can dye it with the stain still on but it will only get darker. If you want to take it down all the way, ie no color at all you will need to spend a lot of time sanding, starting with your lower recommended grit and ending with a high grit. I will not recommend these grit numbers.


Right on! Thanks everyone for the advice! I'll see if that helps at all.


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## donovanrichardson (Nov 10, 2010)

Kyle, just found this thread!

Now, what I'm going to tell you should only be taken with a grain of salt, this is merely from my woodworking days with guitars and the fact that I have not worked with refinishing a pipe yet.

Good advice with the grains of sandpaper so far. I would also echo using 400 grit and 600 grit to do the majority of the work. Problem is when you get up to the 1,000 and 2,000 grits is that you need to knock off your sandpaper often as if you get a build up and those build ups can actually do harm to the wood and leave deep scratches in the wood, of that makes sense. #00 and #0000 steel wool can be a good choice too.

Another option for a finish might sound obscure to some and please berate is this idea is ridiculous! Sometimes on guitar necks or even entire guitars, luthiers will use a product called Tru Oil. It's for refinishing and sealing gun stocks. It creates a hardened finish on guitar necks that does require a bit of reapplication through the years. Not sure how it would hold up to the heat or anything so again, please let me know if this idea is ridiculous! But it shines up nicely and is pretty rigid.


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## Jack Straw (Nov 20, 2008)

I have used tru-oil on a guitar, it is great stuff, but I might hesitate at using an oil finish like that on a pipe - I can only picture it becoming a sticky mess when hot, but I certainly could be wrong.


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## donovanrichardson (Nov 10, 2010)

Jack Straw said:


> I have used tru-oil on a guitar, it is great stuff, but I might hesitate at using an oil finish like that on a pipe - I can only picture it becoming a sticky mess when hot, but I certainly could be wrong.


That was my concern as well, I suppose it depends on how the pipe smokes though, if it's a semi-hot pipe, then definitely do not use the Tru Oil but even if the bowl stays pretty cool, might be risky.


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